George Walkley is an independent consultant and digital publishing expert based in the United Kingdom. He has worked in the book trade for twenty-five years, most recently as an advisor to innovative audiobook startup xigxag, where he has been responsible for audio content acquisition deals with more than thirty leading international publishers. George’s early career was spent in the publishing industry, first as a bookseller and then at the global Big 5 publisher Hachette, where he held senior roles in strategy, development, digital and marketing. From 2009, he set up Hachette UK’s digital department, working with digital retailers around the world, and was responsible for the supply chain for more than 60,000 digital products including ebooks, audiobooks and apps. He also led the development of Hachette UK’s in-house audio recording studios.
George is a part-time doctoral researcher at Bristol Business School, and holds an MBA from Bayes Business School. He is a regular guest speaker at universities, book fairs and other events.